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| QNU secretary Beth Mohle |
From July 1 this year, all QNU active members, regardless of employment status, will be required to contribute up to $1 a week on top of their regular union fees to the new fund.
Delegates at the QNU annual conference, held in August, voted to begin the fund to raise awareness of the nursing and midwifery professions, advance nurses’ and midwives’ pay and conditions, and to advocate for adequate health system funding.
The conference resolution states the Nurse Power fund is also designed to build union strength across all health and aged care sectors and to support the union’s community engagement and community-based campaigning activities.
Queensland Health Minister Lawrence Springborg has attacked the fund which he claims will raise $1.2 million each year from public sector nurses and midwives to support politically-motivated rallies.
In a statement, Mr Springborg said the Newman Government’s decision to award significant pay increases to nurses and midwives was designed to put more money into the pay packets of nurses, not into union slush funds.
“The LNP is all about putting money into the pockets of our valued nurses while the union bosses and Labor are about taking money out of their pockets,” he said.
The QNU released a media statement announcing the fund on August 8.
QNU secretary Beth Mohle said nurses and midwives are working to highlight the state’s need for quality health and aged care services.
“We devote our lives to helping others,” she said.
“This provision of care gives us an insight into what goes on behind closed hospital and aged care facility doors and in the community generally.
“We will never stop campaigning to protect our patients and members.”
Ms Mohle said Queensland has recently lost more than 1100 full-time equivalent nursing positions while health services have been cut and more than 1000 state-run aged care beds have been closed.
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